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If you followed E3 2017, you’ll remember Bethesda’s #SavePlayer1 campaign championing single-player games. This was a time when “hero shooters” and “loot shooters” dominated the gaming landscape, and live service models were becoming increasingly prevalent. Bethesda, with Prey, The Evil Within 2, and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus on the horizon, wanted to highlight their commitment to single-player experiences.

Fast forward to E3 2018, and Bethesda unveiled a mixed bag: the excellent RAGE 2, a perplexing PvP DLC for Prey, a half-baked MMO Fallout spin-off, and a co-op focused Wolfenstein title. These experiments, while understandable from a business perspective, haven’t always landed well, with Fallout 76‘s foray into Battle Royale being a prime example. Unfortunately, Wolfenstein: Youngblood falls into this category of underwhelming experimentation.

A Shift in Focus: From Nazi Slaughter to Calculated Combat

Unlike its predecessors, Wolfenstein: Youngblood shifts from all-out Nazi annihilation to a more calculated approach, seemingly influenced by the “loot shooter” trend. Enemies now have health bars, levels, and armor, while players have a variety of weapons but lack the instant-kill power of previous entries. Yes, Youngblood incorporates RPG elements.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

MachineGames’ implementation of these RPG mechanics feels arbitrary and superficial. The gunplay, while still satisfying, feels less impactful due to the bullet-sponge nature of enemies. It’s not simply a matter of being under-leveled; the game introduces an inflexible armor system. There are two armor types (let’s call them A and B for simplicity). Type A is worn by lighter enemies, while Type B is reserved for heavier units and mechs. Type A is vulnerable to certain weapons like pistols, SMGs, and shotguns, while Type B requires different weapons like rifles and energy weapons.

This “must-use” system feels restrictive and counterintuitive. It forces players into specific loadouts for each encounter, punishing experimentation and strategic thinking. It’s unlike Destiny 2‘s Kinetic and Energy system, which offers more flexibility. This arbitrary system undermines the core gunplay, making shotguns ineffective at close range and pistols surprisingly powerful against armored foes. This baffling design choice becomes even more frustrating in the late game, which favors enemies with Type B armor. Even the otherwise decent weapon upgrade system, which allows for attachments like drum magazines, becomes irrelevant due to this rigid armor system.

A Shallow RPG Layer and Perplexing Level Design

The rest of Youngblood‘s RPG system is equally flawed. Leveling doesn’t significantly impact character progression; it primarily serves as a gatekeeper for weapon upgrades and perks. Furthermore, enemy levels aren’t a significant obstacle, with only one checkpoint in Brother 2 requiring a specific level. This is a positive in that it doesn’t interrupt the flow of combat, but it begs the question: why include such a superficial system in the first place?

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

Arkane Studios’ influence is evident in the game’s open-level design, with four interconnected districts (Brother 1-4) linked by a subway system to a hub area. While visually interesting, allowing exploration and the discovery of hidden areas, this design clashes with Youngblood‘s fast-paced co-op gameplay. The open levels, designed for a slower, more methodical approach, feel at odds with the run-and-gun nature of Wolfenstein. The respawning enemies further discourage exploration, pushing players to rush through objectives. The side content consists mainly of repetitive fetch quests, and the code-required crates and terminals offer little challenge, with codes conveniently displayed upon finding the relevant notes.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

This design becomes particularly problematic in the underground sections. The unhelpful minimap, unclear objective markers, and lack of visual cues make navigation frustrating and time-consuming. Add to this the poor AI, uninspired enemy design, and a frustrating final boss, and the experience becomes increasingly tedious.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

A Story Lost in the Shadows

Wolfenstein: The New Order was praised for its compelling narrative. Youngblood, with its smaller scope and lower price point, understandably has a less ambitious story. However, even compared to The Old Blood, the narrative feels underwhelming. The story of Soph and Jess Blazkowicz searching for their missing father B.J. is largely absent for a significant portion of the game, only picking up momentum in the beginning and final hours. Even within this limited timeframe, the narrative fails to leave a lasting impression. The plot points are predictable, the characters forgettable, and the setup for Wolfenstein III feels perfunctory. The American uprising post-The New Colossus is barely mentioned, and the emergence of the Fourth Reich is treated with a jarring lack of seriousness, mirroring MachineGames’ seemingly ambivalent approach to the franchise since The New Colossus.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

In conclusion, Wolfenstein: Youngblood represents a misstep for the franchise. Its attempt to incorporate RPG elements feels forced and detracts from the core gunplay. The level design clashes with the fast-paced gameplay, and the narrative fails to engage. While its lower price point might mitigate some of these shortcomings, it ultimately falls short of the high bar set by previous Wolfenstein titles.